Pelt-cleaner.



NO. 816,455. PATENTED -MAR. 27, 1906.

. J. HBMINGWAY.

FELT CLEANER.

APPLIOATIN FILED AUG. 16, 1905.

@fz f5# 1,6 i? e15 2 SHEETSSHEBT l.

l f f ff/72M No. 816,466. PATENTED MAR. 27, 1906.

' J. HBMINGWAY.

PELT CLEANER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 1e, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

JOHN HEMINGWAY, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS.

FELT-CLEANER.

Speccation of Letters Patent.

Patented March 2'7, 1906.

Application led August 16, 1905. Serial No. 274,379.

To @ZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN HEMINGWAY, of Lynn, in the county of Essex and State lof Massachusetts, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Pelt-Cleaners, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for cleaning, brushing, and straightening wool or hair 'on the pelt or hide, so as to remove from the fur or hair all burs, dirt, or excrement.

The object of the invention is to provide a hand wool-scrubber which, although all of the parts may be made of metal, partly iron and partly steel, will yet support the pelt in a cushioned manner, so that the action of the steel blades will not cut or tear the hide or the wool, hair, or fur.

To these ends the invention consists in the construction and combination of parts, substantially as hereinafter described and claimed.

Of the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a hand wool-scrubber embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents a section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents a section on line 3 3 of Fig. 1 and showing also a hide. 4 is a plan view of the apparatus shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Similar reference characters indicate the same or similar parts in all the views.

A suitable frame is indicated at 10, said frame being preferably of iron and supporting tracks 11, having curved outer ends 12. Mounted upon said tracks is a truck having a platform 13 and wheels 14, the curved outer ends 12 of the tracks 11 serving as stops for the rearmost wheels 14 to limit the outward movement of the truck. Said truck and the pelt or hide upon it are operated entirely by hand, and it is therefore desirable to employ some means for preventing excessive rearward movement, the forward movement of the truck being governed entirely by the pressure exerted by the operator, as will be presently described. Secured to the forward end of the truck are brackets 15, which support rolls 16, which may be of either wood or metal. In either event there is no necessity for providing any yielding covering for said rolls.

The pelt is represented at 17, said pelt being placed upon the platform 13 by the operator and pushed gradually forward, so that it will hang in front of the two rolls 16. The portions of the frame which support the shaft presently described form abutments for the lowermost roll 16, so as to prevent the truck from being advanced so far that the upper roll 16 if not covered by a pelt would' be struck by the revolving blades.

Supported in bearings 1S is a shaft 19, which is substantially in the plane of the upper roll 16. Said shaft'is provided with fast and loose pulleys 20 and 21, whereby the blades and the shaft may be actuated by a power-driven belt. Rigidly secured upon the shaft 19 are spider-frames 22, preferably of cast-iron, the arms 23 having blades 24 secured thereto, said blades being preferably of steel. It will be observed that the lower roll 16 is slightly in advance of the upper roll 16. As stated, the shaft 19 is mounted substantially in the same horizontal plane with the upper roll 16. Therefore the edge of each blade 24 in moving downward from a horizontal position moves in the aro of a circle which will be very closely conformed to by the portion of thev pelt that crosses the space between the two rolls. Said pelt is therefore free to yield under the cleaning action of the edges of the blades, the lower roll 16 insuring the proper position for the pelt, so as to be engaged by each blade for a considerable distance before each blade will entirely leave the pelt.

As indicated in Fig. 3, a suitable hood 25 may be employed, which hood may afford a support for the perforated water-pipe 26 by means of a hook or bracket 27. Other means for supporting the water-pipe may be employed, however.

The pelts are treated wet, and the supply of water from the pipe 26 strikes the pelt at practically the same point as that engaged by the blades, so as to aid in the removal of all objectionable matter, so that the wool, hair, or fur will be thoroughly cleaned as well as brushed or straightened out. This result is accomplished without employing any elastic substance to support any portion of the pelt, and therefore the machine is not only efficient, but is durable and will certainly always support the pelt in the exact position to which it may be moved by the operator who controls the truck and the feeding of the pelt over the rolls supported by said truck.

Having now described my invention, I claim- 1. A wool-scrubber comprising a pair of freely-mounted rolls, means for guiding a IIO pelt over said rolls and rotating cleaningblades mounted relatively to said rolls to cause the edges of said blades to engage a stretch of the pelt opposite the space between the rolls.

2. A wool-scrubber comprising a support for the pelt, said support having rolls mounted one above another whereby a pelt on the support may extend across the space in front of and between said rolls7 and rotary cleaning devices mounted relatively to said rolls to engagea stretch of the pelt opposite the space between said rolls.

3. A wool-scrubber comprising a pair of freely-mounted rolls, means for guiding a pelt over said rolls, cleaning devices to act upon a pelt extending in Jfront of and across the space between said rolls, and means for supplying water at tlie point where the pelt is engaged by said cleaning devices.

4. Awool-scrubber comprising rotary cleaning devices, and a truck freely movable toward and from said cleaning devices, said truck being adapted to support a pelt and having a pair of freely-mounted rolls across which the pelt is passed wliile acted upon by the cleaning devices.

5. A woolescrubber comprising a pair of freely-mounted rolls one below the other and the lower one being in advance of the upper one, means for guiding a pelt over said rolls, a shaft substantially in the plane of the upper roll and having cleaning-blades adapted to engage a stretch of the pelt opposite the space between the rolls, and means for r0- tating said shaft.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

yJOHN HEB'IINGWAY. Witnesses:

A. W. HARRISON, ARTHUR H. BROWN. 

